CYPRUS: THE APPLE OF DISCORD.

A tour by the sad traces of the confrontation and the division of Cyprus in two rival republics, a Greek one and a Turkish one, and a review on the efforts by common Cypriots to overcome this situation. Published by ESQUIRE (January 2010).

I explored no-man’s, frozen-in-time land today: the buffer zone patrolled by UN peace-keepers, separating the Turkish army from the Greek Cypriots and cutting the old capital in halves. I saw everything as it was in 1974, when the inhabitants fled: cafes, shops and the wild destruction of war. Plus loads of dust, invading bush and stray dogs.

I had a stroll on divided Lefkosia (Nicosia), from South to North and back… A wall came down today, 20 years ago in Berlin. this one seems still high and nasty. The Greek, Turkish and United Nations troops’ bunkers and fortified positions look ugly and sooo anachronic, whereas Cypriots from both sides seem so relaxed and friendly.

I’m joyfully waving at the sun, THE SUN!!! Nothing like almost a week underwater to receive our father sun with smiles and a huge desire to go out dancing –where’s a salsa club in Beirut??? It’s almost time to leave Lebanon, though. There’s a little, divided island right in front of these shores, where Greeks and Turks are trying to find ways to live together.